Structure Through Colour: A Pixel Approach Towards Understanding Galaxies

M. M. Lanyon-Foster; C. J. Conselice; M. R. Merrifield

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12132.x

Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 0706.2622

Structure Through Colour: A Pixel Approach Towards Understanding Galaxies

M. M. Lanyon-Foster·C. J. Conselice·M. R. Merrifield

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We present a study of pixel Colour Magnitude Diagrams (pCMDs) for a sample of 69 nearby galaxies chosen to span a wide range of Hubble types. Our goal is to determine how useful a pixel approach is for studying galaxies according to their stellar light distributions and content. The galaxy images were analysed on a pixel-by-pixel basis to reveal the structure of the individual pCMDs. We find that the average surface brightness (or projected mass density) in each pixel varies according to galaxy type. Early-type galaxies exihibit a clear ``prime sequence'' and some pCMDs of face-on spirals reveal ``inverse-L'' structures. We find that the colour dispersion at a given magnitude is found to be approximately constant in early-type galaxies but this quantity varies in the mid and late-types. We investigate individual galaxies and find that the pCMDs can be used to pick out morphological features. We discuss the discovery of ``Red Hooks'' in the pCMDs of six early-type galaxies and two spirals and postulate their origins. We develop quantitative methods to characterise the pCMDs, including measures of the blue-to-red light ratio and colour distributions of each galaxy and we organise these by morphological type. We compare the colours of the pixels in each galaxy with the stellar population models of Bruzual & Charlot (2003) to calculate star formation histories for each galaxy type and compare these to the stellar mass within each pixel. Maps of pixel stellar mass and mass-to-light ratio are compared to galaxy images. We apply the pCMD technique to three galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to test the usefulness of the analysis at high redshift. We propose that these results can be used as part of a new system of automated classification of galaxies that can be applied at high redshift.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph

Keep this discovery

BibTeX RIS

M. M. Lanyon-Foster, C. J. Conselice, M. R. Merrifield. 2007-06-18. Structure Through Colour: A Pixel Approach Towards Understanding Galaxies. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12132.x

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2016

Distribution functions for a family of axially symmetric galaxy models

We present the derivation of distribution functions for the first four members of a family of disks, previously obtained in (MNRAS, 371, 1873, 2006), which represent a family of axially symmetric galaxy models with finite radius and well behaved surface mass density. In order to do this we employ several approaches that have been developed starting from the potential-density pair and, essentially using the method introduced by Kalnajs (Ap. J., 205, 751, 1976) we obtain some distribution functions that depend on the Jacobi integral. Now, as this method demands that the mass density can be properly expressed as a function of the gravitational potential, we can do this only for the first four discs of the family. We also find another kind of distribution functions by starting with the even part of the previous distribution functions and using the maximum entropy principle in order to find the odd part and so a new distribution function, as it was pointed out by Dejonghe (Phys. Rep., 133, 217, 1986). The result is a wide variety of equilibrium states corresponding to several self-consistent finite flat galaxy models.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2016

Cosmic-Ray Nuclei, Antiprotons and Gamma-rays in the Galaxy: a New Diffusion Model

We model the transport of cosmic ray nuclei in the Galaxy by means of a new numerical code. Differently from previous numerical models we account for a generic spatial distribution of the diffusion coefficient. We found that in the case of radially uniform diffusion, the main secondary/primary ratios (B/C, N/O and sub-Fe/Fe) and the modulated antiproton spectrum match consistently the available observations. Convection and re-acceleration do not seem to be required in the energy range we consider: $1 < E < 10^3$ GeV/nucleon. We generalize these results accounting for radial dependence of the diffusion coefficient, which is assumed to trace that of the cosmic ray sources. While this does not affect the prediction of secondary/primary ratios, the simulated longitude profile of the diffuse $γ$-ray emission is significantly different from the uniform case and may agree with EGRET measurements without invoking ad hoc assumptions on the galactic gas density distribution.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2016

Black Stars and Gamma Ray Bursts

Stars that are collapsing toward forming a black hole but are frozen near the Schwarzschild horizon are termed "black stars". Collisions of black stars, in contrast to black hole collisions, may be sources of gamma ray bursts, whose basic parameters are estimated quite simply and are found to be consistent with observed gamma ray bursts. Black star gamma ray bursts should be preceded by gravitational wave emission similar to that from the coalescence of black holes.

astro-ph↗